


The Cursed Prince

by LilAnnieSunshine



Series: SasuSaku Month 2020 [17]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Curse Breaking, Curses, F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Story within a Story, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25584676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilAnnieSunshine/pseuds/LilAnnieSunshine
Summary: Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, is supposed to read a story to the academy class of five-year-olds.Too bad he forgets the book he's supposed to bring.He decides to tell them a story he likes better.It's a true story about a cursed prince, a beautiful village girl, a ninja fox, an enchanted scarecrow, and evil wizard, and a wise old queen.Okay, maybe Kakashi took some creative liberties.Written for SasuSaku month day 18: Curses
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Series: SasuSaku Month 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812370
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37





	The Cursed Prince

“Children, we have a very special guest today,” Iruka started, talking to his academy class of six-year-olds. “The Sixth Hokage himself is here to read you a story.”

Twenty-six small voices rang out. Their eyes brightened. The Sixth Hokage was really going to read to them!

Kakashi walked into the room, not even wearing his Hokage robes. “Yo.” He said to the kids, raising a hand casually.

The kids exchanged confused looks.

“Is he really the Hokage?” asked one.

“He’s not wearing the hat.” Agreed another.

Iruka gave Kakashi a look that said ‘Are you serious?’ before addressing him formally, “Welcome Lord Sixth Hokage.” Iruka said with a bow, gesturing for the kids to bow.

They did, but Iruka still heard some confused murmurs, including one ‘Did Iruka-sensei just pay some guy to pretend to be the Hokage? Did he think we’d believe it because we’re kids?’

Iruka came up from his bow. “So Lord Hokage, what did you plan on reading for us today?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Kakashi’s eyes crinkled and he reached into his pouch, pulling out a familiar orange book. It wasn’t until he met Iruka’s eyes that he realized his mistake.

The vein on Iruka’s forehead was pulsing and he gave Kakashi an annoyed look, dropping all respect from his act before.

The back of Kakashi’s neck turned red. “Well, I suppose I brought the wrong book with me today.” He shrugged and rubbed his neck, putting the book back with his other hand. “How about a story that is so old, it’s never been written down?”

The children cheered.

“Now then, our story begins in a village like this one many years ago. There once was a handsome young ninja prince. Although he was young, he was as powerful as he was lonely, and he was very lonely. The young prince had lost his whole family in a tragedy too terrible to talk about. He vowed to get stronger, so that another tragedy like that could never happen again, so he’d train in the field by his home, his only company was a talking ninja fox and a beat-up, old scarecrow that stood silently in the field.”

_Prince_ _Sasuke went out into the field to train. He set up some targets under the watchful eye of the one-eyed scarecrow just a few feet away. He practiced throwing his shuriken at the targets. He competed with the ninja fox, which used its tail to bat shuriken at targets.”_

“One day, a beautiful young village girl came skipping into the field. She had ambitions to be a ninja, even though she didn’t come from powerful clan. She saw the prince. She was instantly captivated by his beauty and even more by his strength. She wanted to join him.”

_Sakura skipped through the field and came across Prince Sasuke. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him._

“As the girl approached, she locked eyes with the old, one-eyed scarecrow. It seemed to be staring right at her. Then she heard a voice come out of nowhere,”

_“Hello, beautiful.” Said Naruto the fox._

“The fox was speaking to her, but it was so low to the ground she couldn’t see it. She thought the scarecrow was talking to her. It startled her so badly that she passed out. The prince heard a thudding sound, so he went over to see what was wrong. That’s when he first noticed the beautiful young village girl.”

_Prince Sasuke stared down at Sakura, he wondered what was wrong with the girl that caused her to fall down. He couldn’t help but notice how lovely she was, even if he wouldn’t admit it._

_“She’s really something.” Naruto the fox said to Prince Sasuke._

_“Hn.” Said Prince Sasuke._

“The girl awoke staring into the prince’s dark eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, happy to be safe from the gaze of the scarecrow.”

_“Cut it out!” Said Prince Sasuke, blushing and pushing the girl away._

_“Sorry, I’m just so glad you’re okay. That scarecrow is awfully frightening.” Sakura told him._

_“Tch. He’s not that scary.”_

“The prince convinced the girl the scarecrow wasn’t that bad. When she was no longer afraid, she asked to spend time with him.”

_“What are you doing?”_

_“Training with Naruto.”_

_“Why?”_

_“To get stronger.”_

_“Can I train with you?”_

_“Of course!” Naruto the fox spun in circles._

_Prince Sasuke caught Naruto and put his hand over the fox’s mouth. “Why should I let you?”_

_“There must be some way I can help you.” Said Sakura._

_“I don’t need any help.”_

“The girl was persistent. She had access to one of the greatest libraries in the land, so while the prince trained with his targets, she studied theory. One day one of the old scroll she was reading caught his attention.”

_“What are you reading?” Asked Prince Sasuke._

_“I’m reading about Chakra control.” Said Sakura._

_“Is it helping?” asked Naruto the fox._

_“Yes, I have excellent Chakra control, but I don’t yet know all of the things I can do with it.” Said Sakura._

_“Can you climb trees?” Challenged the prince._

_“Why, yes. Yes I can.”_

_The Prince took her into the forest and proposed a challenge. “If you can climb higher than me, I’ll let you train me on Chakra control.”_

_“Okay.”_

“Now, the village girl had excellent Chakra control. She was a very good tree climber, but she was also humble and didn’t want to hurt the prince’s feelings. Still, she knew the only way to get her way was to beat him. The prince went first, he was able to get half way up the tree –“

The children murmured about how hard it was to climb a tree using chakra and how the prince must be impressive if he climbed so high.

_“Beat that.” Said Prince Sasuke._

_Sakura just nodded at him._

“Next, it was the village girl’s turn. She knew she could climb to the tree with no trouble at all so she did. She climbed all the way to the top and sat on one of the branches.”

_“Wow!” Said Naruto the fox. “That was amazing!”_

_“Hn.” Said Prince Sasuke walking away from the girl and Naruto the fox._

_Her face fell. She climbed down. She was so sad she decided to turn and go home rather than go after Prince Sasuke._

_Naruto the fox padded after her. “Hey, don’t look so down. He’s just not used to losing to anyone. He needs you. You’ll keep him on his toes.”_

_Sakura stopped walking and crouched down next to Naruto the fox. “You really think so?”_

_“I know him better than anyone.” Said Naruto the fox proudly, putting a paw to his chest. “If I say he needs it, he needs it. We’ll be training in the field by the scarecrow tomorrow. You should come and help us.”_

_“What if he’s mean to me again?”_

_“He’s just embarrassed that a cute girl beat him at his own game. If you have other tricks like that to teach him, I’m sure he’ll get over it.”_

“And so, the village girl came back to the field the next day ready to train with the prince.”

_“What are you doing here?” asked Prince Sasuke._

_“I’m here to train with you. A deal’s a deal. You said if I beat you at tree climbing we could train together. Or are you one of those ninja who goes back on his word?” Sakura put her hands on her hips._

_“Tch. Fine. Teach me to climb as high as you can.”_

“So the village girl, the prince, and the ninja fox spent their days training together in the field and in the forest, all under the watchful gaze of the old scarecrow. But he wasn’t the only one watching, an evil old wizard, who had the head and torso of a man and the body of a snake, had been watching the young prince. The wizard wanted the prince’s power for his own so he hatched a plan to curse the young prince. One day, the prince, the village girl, and the ninja fox went deep into the woods for a survival exercise. That’s when the evil wizard struck.”

The children all gasped.

“First, the evil wizard had his snake friends lure the ninja fox away from the other two. Then he attacked the young prince and the village girl. The appearance of the evil snake wizard was so terrible both were paralyzed in fright. Then the prince realized that if he didn’t act soon, the evil wizard would kill the young village girl who taught him so much. His feelings for her gave him the strength to fight the evil wizard, but alas, the prince wasn’t strong enough and the wizard was able to put a terrible curse on him.”

“What did the curse do?” asked one little boy.

“Oh, it was a terrible curse, indeed. It made the prince stronger, but only when he was filled with hatred.”

“What about the village girl? I thought he loved her?” asked a little girl.

“We’ll get to that,” Said Kakshi with a twinkle in his eye. “The curse made the prince fall into a deep sleep. By then, the ninja fox also escaped, but he also fought a hard battle, so he passed out the moment he got to their camp. So the young village girl tended to their wounds. She was a natural caregiver and her skill, along with her love for her friends gave them a fighting chance. But the evil wizard wasn’t done with the three friends yet, he sent a trio of snakes to attack them. This time the village girl fought them, she was very afraid of the snakes, but she was more afraid of the snakes hurting her friends. She fought bravely, but it was three-against-one. Just when all hope seemed lost, the young prince woke up.”

_“Sakura, who did this to you?” asked Prince Sasuke, a truly evil, hate-filled aura came off of him._

_Sakura paused, she was afraid of what Prince Sasuke had become. She was afraid of what he’d do if she told him who hurt her._

_“Sakura,” he pressed again, “who did this to you?”_

_“That would be me.” Hissed one of the snakes._

“But the prince had been changed, under the affects of the curse he beat the snake within an inch of its life. He was cruel, it wasn’t his true nature, and the village girl could see that. She knew she had to save him.”

_Sakura got up, despite her fear and wrapped her arms around Prince Sasuke, stopping him from causing any further destruction. “No, please. Don’t do it.” She was crying._

“The prince looked back at her, a cruel madness in his eyes. When he saw his friend crying, he realized he was hurting her, and he stopped in his tracks. The curse, which had spread across his body receded and the two fell to the ground as the snakes slithered away.”

“So the princess broke the curse?” asked another little girl.

“Not quite, it was a very powerful curse. Despite the best efforts of the village girl and the ninja fox, the prince gave into his hatred and left the village, seeking out the wizard for more power. The village girl did her best to stop him.”

_“I’m so in love with you I can’t stand it,” Sakura confessed as she met Prince Sasuke on the outskirts of the village. “If you stay with my, I promise I’d never let you regret it. Every day would be a joy. I would do anything to give you happiness. I’d do anything for you. So please, just stay here with me and if you can’t, take me with you.”_

_Prince Sasuke looked back at Sakura’s tearstained face. He hated seeing her like that. He hated the way she made him feel, it felt like weakness, and he couldn’t be weak. “You haven’t changed, you’re still annoying.” The girl had been annoying him since he first met her. She occupied far too many of his thoughts. He walked away, trying his best to leave._

_“Don’t leave. If you do, I’ll scream –“_

_Prince Sasuke stopped walking and appeared behind her, catching her off guard. “Sakura, thank you for everything.”_

“So, the young prince left to join the evil wizard in his quest for power. Word got to the wise old queen who ruled over the land. She sent four of her best ninja, plus the ninja fox to try and retrieve the prince, but the prince go away, severing the last of his bonds with his old friends. Meanwhile, she trained the village girl to be powerful ninja. The village girl and the ninja fox never gave up hope they’d get their friend back, they chased down every lead they could to find him. Years passed, eventually word spread that the young prince had killed the evil old wizard and stole his power.”

The children all cheered.

“But, the prince was still cursed, and he was still on his path of darkness. He learned that the tragedy that befell his family was caused by an evil advisor who worked for the last king of the village. Even though one man hatched the evil plan that killed his family, the prince’s heart was wrapped in hate from the curse, so he vowed to destroy the whole village. Word spread to the new queen who called upon those who knew him best to stop him.”

_Sakura and Naruto the fox appeared in the palace, awaiting orders from the queen._

_“Sakura, my dear apprentice, and Naruto the fox, who I owe a debt of gratitude. I’m sending you two to put a stop to Prince Sasuke. But, I’m afraid both of you are far too inexperienced to go alone. But, whoever else will I send with you?” Said Queen Tsunade._

_“There is one more person who knows Prince Sasuke as well as we do.” Said Naruto the fox._

_Naruto the fox and Sakura led the queen to the field where they used to train. Naruto the fox ran in circles around the old scarecrow. “He’s watched over Prince Sasuke his whole life.”_

“The Queen, despite her confusion, humored the ninja fox and used her own magic to bring the scarecrow to life. The scarecrow was happy to finally be able to move and talk to the folks he had watched grow up.”

_“Scarecrow,” Said Queen Tsunade. “I hear you’ve been in this field for a very long time and have weathered many seasons.”_

_“Yes, my queen.” Said the scarecrow with a bow. “You may call me Kakashi.”_

_“Naruto says you are the wisest old scarecrow in the land and you know Prince Sasuke better than just about anyone.”_

_“Just about,” Said Kakashi the scarecrow, eyeing Sakura and Naruto._

_“Very well, I order you to accompany my young apprentice and this noble ninja fox on their quest to save the soul of Prince Sasuke.”_

_“As you wish, my Queen.”_

“The village girl, ninja fox, and scarecrow happened upon the prince as he killed the evil old advisor. The village girl was horrified to see the prince even turned on his handmaiden. She decided if he couldn’t be saved, she’d have to take him out herself, as a mercy to both him and the world.”

“How horrible.” Said a little girl. “How could she kill the one she loved?”

“Well, she couldn’t. But she was right about one thing, the prince was no longer himself. He went to attack her, but was stopped by the ninja fox and the scarecrow. The prince fled when he realized he couldn’t defeat all three of them. The trio didn’t go after him, the village girl said it was more important to save the life of the innocent handmaiden.”

_Sakura tended to the handmaiden’s wounds. “What’s your name?”_

_“Karin.” Answered Prince Sasuke’s handmaiden._

_“Hold still, Karin. You’re going to survive, I know you will.”_

_Naruto the fox padded over to Sakura and put his head in her lap. “Don’t be upset, Sakura. I know there’s still good in Prince Sasuke.”_

_Sakura wiped her eyes, if Naruto the fox believed it, it must be so._

_Kakashi the fox watched over the two friends with compassion and wisdom in his eyes. Sakura was such a kind, loving girl, the perfect person to break the spell of hatred that had been cast on the prince. If she couldn’t do it no one could._

“The trio met the prince again after some time, great darkness was threatening the whole world and the four of them were the only ones who could stop it. They worked together to defeat a force powerful beyond comprehension. The prince was impressed with his old friends’ new strength, especially the village girl’s.”

“So the prince came home with his friends right?” asked a boy.

“And married the village girl and made her a princess?” asked a girl.

“Not quite.” Said Kakashi. “The prince was still cursed and he still had vowed revenge on the village. He told his old friends of his plan to kill the queen and all of the other kings and queens of neighboring lands. His friends tried to convince him no good would come from more killing.”

_“Prince Sasuke, I still love you. Please, if I still have a place in your heart, don’t do this. Come home to me.” Said Sakura._

_Prince Sasuke hesitated. He would never admit it, but Sakura’s words did have an impact on him._

_“You’re so damn annoying.” He said, creating an illusion that he hurt her._

“The Prince couldn’t go through with killing his beloved so he instead put her under a genjutsu which put her to sleep. It was still a cruel trick, and it greatly angered the scarecrow which had watched their love grow over the years.” Kakashi’s voice grew angrier, scaring the class.

_Kakashi the scarecrow caught Sakura in his arms._

_“What’s wrong with you? How could you do this to her? Sakura never stopped loving you. She never stopped wanting to save you.” Said Kakashi the scarecrow._

_“I have no reason to love her.” Said Prince Sasuke. “And I see no reason for her to love me.” He was so cruel to her, it was only natural for her to hate him, as he hated the world. Still, he couldn’t truly hate her, if he did, she’d be dead._

_“The only time someone needs a reason for a feeling is for hate.” Kakashi the scarecrow said, reflecting on the curse Prince Sasuke was under which only amplified his hate. “Even after everything you’ve done, Sakura still cries for you. She loves you to the point of it breaking her own heart.”_

_“Her dreams…” Said Prince Sasuke thinking back to the happy times they shared in the field and in the forest, “Are dreams of a failed past.”_

“With the village girl safe in the scarecrow’s arms, the prince challenged the ninja fox, his old best friend, to a battle.”

“Don’t tell me he killed the poor fox?” Said a little boy in horror.

“On the contrary, the ninja fox beat some sense into the prince. The two fought a battle so strenuous, it left them unable to stand, but still conscious. The village girl awoke after the fighting died down, then she and the scarecrow went after their friends. The village girl found them both hurt and badly bleeding, she instantly tended to their wounds. The action warmed the prince’s heart so much, that he finally changed his mind about wanting to kill the queen.”

_“Sakura, I’m sorry, for everything.” Said Prince Sasuke. His eyes were sad, he had hurt his beloved so much over the years, he was truly sorry for all of the pain he caused her._

_“You better be.” Said Sakura through her tears._

_Prince Sasuke and Naruto the fox sat up, they talked to Sakura, making up for lost time._

_Kakashi the scarecrow watched the three and the sight warmed his heart, finally the three friends were together again and all was right with the world._

“So you see children, it took two kinds of love, the platonic love between the ninja fox and the prince, and the romantic love between the princes and the village girl to break the curse of hatred that was cast over the prince’s heart.”

“Then the prince married the village girl right?” Asked a girl.

“Not right away. The prince and the village girl had a lot of catching up to do before they got married. They became friends again, then they started dating, and after a few years, they got married and the village girl became a princess.”

“Are they happy?” asked a little boy with a disgusted look on his face. He couldn’t imagine a story where getting married to some dumb girl made _anyone_ happy.

Kakashi chuckled. “They’re very happy. They’re so happy that they took their happiness and turned it into a little princess. The three of them, and the ninja fox, the scarecrow, and the queen all lived happily ever after.”

The bell rang. The children were all to go home for the day.

“Thank you Lord Hokage!” They all said in unison, bowing.

Iruka had a knowing smile on his face as Kakashi turned to look at him.

“What?” asked Kakashi.

“Did you really just tell the story of your students getting together?” asked Iruka.

“It’s a good story.” Shrugged Kakashi.

“Did you have to make Naruto a fox? He’s a lot more than that.”

“That’s what you’re taking issue with? I made myself a scarecrow.”

Iruka sighed. “I suppose it’s okay. What were you planning on reading to the kids anyway?”

Kakashi thought about it. He couldn’t even remember checking out a kid’s book from the library to read to the kids, but he couldn’t let Iruka know that. “Nothing special.” Then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.


End file.
